CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations’ food agency has announced a temporary suspension of aid distribution at Sudan’s famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp, home to half a million people, due to increased conflict between the country’s warring factions. The World Food Program disclosed on Wednesday that recent clashes between the military and a paramilitary group in Sudan’s ongoing civil war have forced its humanitarian partners to evacuate the camp in western Darfur for their safety.
The agency issued a warning that thousands of individuals in Zamzam are now at risk of starvation as a result of the aid pause. Laurent Bukera, the regional director of the World Food Program, emphasized the urgent need for assistance, stating, “Without immediate help, numerous families in Zamzam face the threat of starvation in the upcoming weeks.”
Bukera called upon the conflicting parties to cease hostilities and facilitate the safe and swift delivery of essential aid. “It is crucial that we resume the distribution of life-saving assistance in and around Zamzam promptly and on a large scale,” she stressed.
While the World Food Program has been able to provide food for approximately 300,000 camp residents, this month’s intensified conflict has hindered aid efforts, resulting in only 60,000 individuals receiving assistance. The destruction of the camp’s main market in a recent attack has further exacerbated the situation, forcing residents to seek essential supplies and food from distant locations.
In a separate development earlier this week, Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity, also announced a halt in its operations, including the operation of its field hospital at the camp, due to the heightened violence.
The declaration of famine in Zamzam in August has now spread to two other displacement camps in Darfur and the Western Nuba Mountains. Situated 12 kilometers (6.5 miles) south of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the Zamzam camp has become a focal point of intense conflict, with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RSF) attempting to seize control.
Since April 2023, the RSF has been engaged in a protracted conflict with the Sudanese military, characterized by acts of violence such as ethnically motivated killings and sexual assault, as reported by the U.N. and human rights organizations. The International Criminal Court is currently conducting an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region.
Despite repeated appeals by aid organizations for access to Zamzam and other affected areas, obstacles to delivering life-saving aid persist. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N.’s top humanitarian official in Sudan, has accused the RSF of obstructing the delivery of crucial assistance to many individuals in Darfur, where the RSF and allied militias exert significant control.
